“Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. “Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. “But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. “Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. “And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:3-9.
In His explanation of this parable to His disciples Jesus tells them that ‘the seed is the word’. In John 1:1-3 we are informed that Jesus is the word. So we understand from this that it is Jesus who desires to sow Himself into us us as the living word of God. There are four conditions where this precious seed is sown which represent the response of those who hear the word. The serious question is, “Into which category do we as individuals fit right now”?
- Beside the road? These ones don’t understand the gospel.
- Rocky places? These ones are fair weather believers.
- Among the thorns? These ones are caught up in worldly worries and concerns.
- The good soil? These ones are grafted into the true vine which is Jesus.
In categories 1, 2, and 3 it is the ‘self-life’ (wanting our own way) that leads to fruitlessness.
The evidence that we are ‘the good soil’ is that we bear much fruit, ‘some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty’. To bear much fruit we must constantly be receiving the divine life of the vine. We must patiently endure being pruned by our heavenly Father. This pruning often comes through suffering for Jesus sake. Being willing to suffer is a mark of those who are ‘the good soil’. Philippians 1:29. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake….
Again the question must be put to each one who reads these words, “Into which of the four categories do I fit right now?”
Whatever the answer to that question may be, surrender to do God’s will and to let Jesus change the state of our human heart will result in us becoming His good soil from which He will produce much fruit. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing….My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” John 15:5,8.
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